2011 Map of Pinchout Creek

About this map

North Fork Smith River flows through this corner of Meagher County, where the landscape is defined by the intersection of mountain ranching and small-scale resource extraction. The area's industrial history is marked by several named workings, including the Ringling Mine and Cut Bank Mine situated near the Willow Creek Reservoir. These features, along with other numbered operations like the NW NW Section 19 Mine, point to a legacy of mineral prospecting in the shadow of the Little Belt and Castle Mountains. Water management is a primary theme of the landscape, evident in the system of drainage from Pinchout Creek and the presence of the South Side Canal, which supports the agricultural demands of local outfits like the Castle Mountain Ranch. The terrain rises toward Clay Butte in the southwest, while a network of rural roads like Zehntner Ln and NFD Rd 211 provide access to the high country.